World class education programme at 100% Optical
Fight for Sight is delighted to be the charity partner of the 100% Optical. The show will be running an inspirational education programme and members of the Fight for Sight Speaker Network will be there.
In partnership with the Association of Optometrists (AOP), the world leading education programme offers all optical professionals the opportunity to gain their invaluable CET points, over the three day event running from 4-6 February 2017 in London.
New for 2017, visitors can expect extra discussion-based sessions offering even more CET points combining keynote speakers and interactive workshops to support and inspire the whole team.
Fight for Sight will provide talks from industry experts including; Dr Denize Atan, Dr Michael Wormstone and Dr Pearse Keane who are part of the charity’s Speaker Network.
The seminar programme is split into hubs, with leading international experts speaking on the main stage, lens hub (contact lens and ophthalmic) and equipment hub giving visitors a 100% experience of their industry.
Commenting on the education programme, Dr Ian Beasley, AOP Head of Education, said, “In 2017, 100% Optical will continue to build upon its reputation for delivering world class education. Delegates will benefit from insight provided by experts from optometry, academia, ophthalmology and further afield.
“The AOP’s legal team will be on hand to open the event on the Saturday with a hard-hitting dramatisation coupled with a live discussion on how to avoid potential conflict and medico-legal issues in the patient journey."
Event Director Nathan Garnett said, “We’ve built the education programme to appeal and train the wider practice team this year so brand new for 2017 will be more interactive seminars with sessions on communication, frame fitting skills and career progression for optical assistants.
“With even more CET points available, 100% Optical is the perfect place to start earning your required points for the year. As always there will be over 100 hours to bank with experts from across the industry so it’s a good idea to book early and secure your slot!”
Hannah Cosh, Head of Fundraising at Fight for Sight said, “I am very grateful to the AOP and 100% Optical for giving members of the Fight for Sight Speaker Network a platform to discuss their funded research projects and highlight the importance of eye research.
“The funds we receive from 100% Optical as charity partner helps to support our ongoing mission to stop sight loss in its tracks. By funding pioneering eye research, we’re helping to create a future that everyone can see.”
Space for the world class educational programme is limited so advance booking is recommended 100percentoptical.com/register
Main stage
Binocular OCT - Reinventing the Eye Examination - Dr Pearse Keane
This lecture will look at how imaging technologies have proven fundamental to many advances in the understanding and treatment of ocular disease. In the 1990s, the introduction of a wholly new form of non-invasive cross-sectional imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT), revolutionised the management of retinal disease. Such technology has become increasingly common, and for many it has become a normal part of the eye examination. OCT technology continues to develop rapidly. Not only can newer versions of current technology produce better images, but a brand new technology - termed “Binocular OCT" can change the nature of the eye examination once again. Binocular OCT can simultaneously image the whole-eye of subjects (cornea to retina), as well as being able to image both eyes at the same time. This means that a range of ocular diagnostic tests (from ocular movements to pupillometry) can be obtained in an automated manner. It also allows objective, reproducible, quantitative measurements to be made for each of these tests. Thus, Binocular OCT will greatly improve the diagnosis and treatment of common ocular diseases affecting the cornea (e.g., keratoconus), retina (e.g. age-related macular degeneration), and optic nerve head (e.g., glaucoma), and has the potential to “reinvent the eye exam” for the 21st Century.
Open bag intraocular lenses: the biological secret of their success - Dr Michael Wormstone
This presentation will examine how secondary visual loss occurs in millions of cataract patients due to a wound-healing response, known as posterior capsule opacification (PCO), following cataract surgery. An intraocular lens (IOL) is implanted into residual lens tissue, known as the capsular bag, following cataract removal. Standard IOLs allow the anterior and posterior capsules of the lens to become physically connected. This places pressure on the IOL and improves contact with the underlying posterior capsule. New open bag IOL designs separate the anterior capsule and posterior capsules and further reduce PCO incidence. It is hypothesised that this results from reduced growth factor availability due to greater irrigation of the bag. The presentation will demonstrate how intraocular lenses can be tested and evaluated using human in vitro tissue culture models and how biological mechanisms that influence post-surgical success can be elucidated.
EQUIPMENT HUB
An eye for an eye? The challenge to develop stem cell therapies for blinding retinal disorders - Dr Denize Atan
This presentation will cover recent progress and challenges in research to develop stem cell therapies to treat blinding retinal diseases. It will first cover our current understanding of the development and function of the retina. It will then describe the changes that occur when the retina starts to degenerate or becomes damaged by a variety of insults, which might challenge the future success of stem cell therapies. Finally, the lecture will cover current strategies to restore or replace damaged retina using stem cell therapies which have translated to clinical trials.